1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector provided with a retainer.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,176 discloses a connector with a housing and cavities formed in the housing. A substantially gate-shaped retainer is provided for locking terminal fittings in the cavities. The gate-shaped retainer has two side pieces that hold the housing between the side pieces while the respective side pieces are fit into retainer mount recesses in opposite side surfaces of the housing. The retainer is slidable between a partial locking position where insertion of the terminal fittings into the cavities is permitted and a full locking position where the terminal fittings are held at proper insertion positions. The retainer is held at these positions by engaging projections on the side surfaces of the housing where the retainer mount recesses are formed.
In recent years, there has been a demand to make connectors smaller. Connectors as described above are sometimes made smaller along the width direction by reducing the thickness of the side pieces of the retainer and that of the side walls of the connector housing. However, this results in smaller engaging areas of the side pieces and the retainer mount recesses. Thus, the side pieces may mistakenly disengage from the retainer mount recesses and the retainer may detach from the housing, for example, when the side pieces move onto the projections during the sliding movement of the retainer.
In view of the above problem, an object of the invention is to provide a connector in which disengagement of a retainer from a housing is prevented.
The invention is directed to a connector with a housing that has opposite front and rear ends. Cavities are arranged transversely in the housing and preferably extend through the housing from the front end to the rear end. The housing also is formed with two retainer mount recesses that preferably are in opposite side surfaces of the housing. The connector also includes a retainer with a pair of retainer pieces. The retainer is mounted to the housing by fitting the retainer pieces into the retainer mount recesses. The retainer can slide from a first position where insertion of terminal fittings into the cavities is permitted to a second position where the terminal fittings are held in the respective cavity. An open-stopping means is provided between the retainer pieces and the housing for preventing an opening deformation of the retainer pieces that would widen a spacing therebetween more than a specified amount.
Accordingly, an opening deformation that would disengage the retainer pieces from the retainer mount recesses can be prevented, thereby preventing the retainer from being detached from the connector housing, for example, when the retainer is operated.
Preferably, the retainer is substantially gate-shaped, and the retainer pieces are defined by a pair of side pieces.
The retainer preferably is mountable to hold the housing between the retainer pieces by fitting the retainer pieces into the retainer mount recesses.
The open-stopping means preferably comprises grooves in one of the housing and the retainer side pieces along a sliding direction of the retainer, and engaging projections on the other of retainer side pieces and the housing substantially along the sliding direction. The engaging projections engage slideably in the grooves to ensure a smooth operation.
The groove preferably is a dovetail groove and/or the engaging projection comprises a dovetail projection.
Each cavity preferably comprises a resiliently deformable lock with a locking section that is engageable with the corresponding terminal fitting. The retainer preferably comprises a deformation preventing portion for entering deformation permitting spaces for the locks when the retainer is at the second position to prevent the resilient deformation of the locks. Accordingly, the terminal fittings are locked doubly by moving the retainer to the second position.
Each lock extends substantially along an inserting direction of the terminal fittings and preferably has a substantially L-shaped cross section extending along an arranging direction of the cavities and a direction normal to the arranging direction.
The lock preferably is formed to be deformed obliquely at an angle to the insertion direction of the terminal fittings and/or a transverse direction of the housing when contacted by the corresponding terminal fitting.
Accordingly, since each lock has the L-shaped cross section and/or is deformable in a direction oblique to the arranging direction of the cavities, dimensions of a necessary deformation permitting space along the vertical and horizontal directions of the housing can be smaller than an amount of resilient deformation of the lock in its deforming direction. Thus, the connector can be made smaller by reducing an arrangement interval of the cavities while ensuring sufficient locking forces for locking the terminal fittings.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings in which: